Sanctifying Life

In memoriam Eyal, Gilad and Naftali.

This past Shabbat we read the portion of Chukkat with its almost incomprehensible commandment of the red heifer whose mixed with "living water" purified those who had been in contact with death so that they could enter the Mishkan, symbolic home of the glory of God. Almost incomprehensible but not entirely so.

The mitzvah of the parah adumah, the red heifer, was a protest against the religions of the ancient world that glorified death. Death for the Egyptians was the realm of the spirits and the gods. The pyramids were places where, it was believed, the spirit of the dead Pharaoh ascended to heaven and joined the immortals.

The single most striking thing about the Torah and Tanakh in general is its almost total silence on life after death. We believe in it profoundly. We believe in olam haba (the world to come), Gan Eden (paradise), and techiyat hametim (the resurrection of the dead). Yet Tanakh speaks about these things only sparingly and by allusion. Why so?

Because too intense a focus on heaven is capable of justifying every kind of evil on earth. There was a time when Jews were burned at the stake, so their murderers said, in order to save their immortal souls. Every injustice on earth, every act of violence, even suicide bombings, can be theoretically defended on the grounds that true justice is reserved for life after death.

Against this Judaism protests with every sinew of its soul, every fiber of its faith. Life is sacred. Death defiles. God is the God of life to be found only by consecrating life. Even King David was told by God that he would not be permitted to build the Temple because “you have shed much blood.”

Judaism is supremely a religion of life. That is the logic of the Torah’s principle that those who have had even the slightest contact with death need purification before they may enter sacred space. The rite of the red heifer delivered this message in the most dramatic possible way. It said, in effect, that everything that lives – even a heifer that never bore the yoke, even red, the colour of blood which is the symbol of life – may one day turn to ash, but that ash must be dissolved in the waters of life. God lives in life. God must never be associated with death.

Eyal, Gilad and Naftali were killed by people who believed in death. Too often in the past Jews were victims of people who practiced hate in the name of the God of love, cruelty in the name of the God of compassion, and murder in the name of the God of life. It is shocking to the very depths of humanity that this still continues to this day.

Never was there a more pointed contrast than, on the one hand, these young men who dedicated their lives to study and to peace, and on the other the revelation that other young men, even from Europe, have become radicalized into violence in the name of God and are now committing murder in His name. That is the difference between a culture of life and one of death, and this has become the battle of our time, not only in Israel but in Syria, in Iraq, in Nigeria and elsewhere. Whole societies are being torn to shreds by people practicing violence in the name of God.

Cultures that worship death, die, while those that sanctify life, live on.

Against this we must never forget the simple truth that those who begin by practicing violence against their enemies end by committing it against their fellow believers. The verdict of history is that cultures that worship death, die, while those that sanctify life, live on. That is why Judaism survives while the great empires that sought its destruction were themselves destroyed.

Our tears go out to the families of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali. We are with them in grief. We will neither forget the young victims nor what they lived for: the right that everyone on earth should enjoy, to live a life of faith without fear.

Bila hamavet lanetzach: “May He destroy death forever, and may the Lord God wipe away the tears from all faces.” May the God of life, in whose image we are, teach all humanity to serve Him by sanctifying life.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 10

(10)
Allison,
July 3, 2014 1:00 AM

Baruch Dayan HaEmes

No other words can express my thoughts. May you be comforted among the mourners of Zion. We are all standing there with you holding your hand. One family.

(9)
Linda Stern,
July 2, 2014 2:01 AM

As a mother, know the whole civilized world sends our condolences to the families of these three young beautiful boys.

May you know the whole civilized world sends condolences to the families of these three young beautiful boys.

(8)
Maureen,
July 1, 2014 10:19 PM

Our tears are not stopping. Our grief is so deep

It is a time if intense grief and comfort is hard to come by. May love and faith surround you at this impossible time.
Ottawa Canada.

(7)
Daisy Harari mayer,
July 1, 2014 8:36 PM

The rabbi

We also are mourning for the three boy. And G blesse them in Heven.when I red this article from the rabbi , I could enderstand that our soul will be with the families, even when we are very fare from Israel, we are one people we are juwis, all over the world we are sorry for what happen in Israel

(6)
Eugene levich,
July 1, 2014 8:35 PM

Noble fury is needed

Fighting hordes of beasts disguised as humans requires great spiritual faith. There are times when faith should be helped by noble fury. Israeli people are entering the stage when white gloves will have to be off. In the first place it concerns the fifth column using the slogans of democracy to abuse democracy. It's a war for survival against monstrous caliphate not the provincial conflict with palestinians

(5)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2014 6:16 PM

thank you

May He destroy death forever, and may the Lord God wipe away the tears from all faces.” May the God of life, in whose image we are, teach all humanity to serve Him by sanctifying life.

Living after a family members suicide. Your article reminds me that when I meet the Almighty One He will answer, "Here he is, right here in my heart, where he ALWAYS has been. Thank you for your ongoing inspirations. I'm not even Jewish and enjoy your writings very much. Thanks

(4)
Ruben Soto,
July 1, 2014 3:22 PM

In memoriam Eyal, Gilad and Naftali

From the distant lands of Venezuela, I want to send a prayer of peace and love through the painful disappearance of three beautiful young. For his family, there are no words to express how sorry I am. The only thing is confidence to feel that they are closer to the Creator. Amen ...

(3)
Are,
July 1, 2014 3:20 PM

Outraged

I am outraged that through this whole ordeal the international community does not draw the line at children being used as weapons for war. A kidnapping is not the same as a child dying because he/ she was hit when an area is under fire as there would be no premeditation. A kidnapping IS premeditated. When we stop expecting acts of war to stay within battles of military vs military, we lose our humanity and eventually face extinction.

(2)
grieving mother,
July 1, 2014 3:13 PM

R.I.P may you memories be for a blessing. Now show those murders that they must pay. Am Israel Chai.

(1)
Phil and Margaret Daniell,
July 1, 2014 11:29 AM

Deepest sympathy and prayers from British Christians in Germany

On Tue, Jul 1, 2014 at 1:04 AM, PJDANIELL <> wrote:

Dear Stacey and all at Aish,

We are devastated by the very sad news of the death of the three young men. We mourn with you and with the whole of Israel.

Our hearts break especially for the families of these three young men lost at the hands of radical Islam.

May HaShem, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, comfort their families in Zion - Psalm 34 v 18.

We - and so many Christians - will continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the Jewish people and for Israel - Psalm 122 and Isaiah 62 v 6-7

I’ve heard the argument made that Jews should not buy German products, for example Volkswagen cars which used Jewish slave labor during the war. It is wrong for Jews to support German industries?

My cousin says we should just forgive and forget. I would like your thoughts on the subject.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The great rabbi known as the Chazon Ish once said that if a Torah scroll was found burning, and a man used it to light his cigarette, there is no Jewish law that forbids it. Nevertheless, doing so would show a lack of sensitivity. So too, Jewish law does not forbid purchasing a German car.

Regarding the "demand for forgiveness," people often quote the Bible that when one is struck, it is proper to "turn the other cheek" and allow that cheek to be struck as well. But that only appears in the Christian Bible. Jews believe in fighting actively against evil.

Almost all people are inherently good and so we should forgive their lapses. But some people are truly evil – for example, Amalek, the ancient nation which wantonly attacked the Jews leaving Egypt.

Over two millennia ago when Haman (a descendant of Amalek) was commanded by the king to lead his enemy Mordechai through the streets of Shushan, Mordechai was too weak to climb on to the horse. Haman had to stoop to allow Mordechai to use his back as a stepping stool. In the process, Mordechai delivered a vicious kick to Haman which obviously startled him.

Turning to Mordechai in bewilderment, Haman asked: "Does it not say in your Bible, 'Do not rejoice at your enemy's downfall?'" Mordechai responded that indeed it does, but it refers only to people less evil than Haman. So too, we have no reason or allowance to forgive the Nazis and their helpers. Those who scraped the concrete in the gas chambers gasping for air can choose whether to forgive the Germans. We cannot.

In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat addressed the Knesset in Jerusalem. Sadat was the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel, after receiving an invitation from Menachem Begin. Sadat had orchestrated the Egyptian attack on Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but after suffering defeat became resigned to the existence of the State of Israel. Much of the Arab world was outraged by Sadat's visit and his change of strategy. One year later, Sadat and Begin signed the Camp David Peace Agreement, for which they received the Nobel Peace Prize. As part of the deal, Israel withdrew from the Sinai peninsula in phases, returning the entire area to Egypt by 1983.

There are many tasks, jobs, and chores that we will end up
doing whether we really enjoy doing them or not. Many hours of our lives are spent this way. The late Rabbi Chaim Friedlander, of Ponevehz Yeshivah, used to say, "If you are going to do it anyway, do it with joy."

Train a young lad according to his method, so that when he grows older he will not deviate from it (Proverbs 22:6).

He shall not deviate from it - the child will not deviate from the method with which he was taught. That method refers to the way we are taught to adapt to life's many hurdles, struggles, and tests.

Education consists of more than just imparting knowledge; it also means training and preparation in how to deal with life. Knowledge is certainly important, but is by no means the sum total of education.

"A person does not properly grasp a Torah principle unless he errs in it" (Gittin 43b). People usually do not really grasp anything unless they first do it wrong. In fact, the hard way is the way to learn. Children learn to walk by stumbling and picking themselves up; young people learn to adjust to life by stumbling and picking themselves up.

Parents and teachers have ample opportunities to serve as role models for their children and students, to demonstrate how to adapt to mistakes and failures. If we show our children and students only our successes, but conceal our failures from them, we deprive them of the most valuable learning opportunities.

We should not allow our egos to interfere with our roles as educators. Parents and teachers fulfill their obligations when they become role models for real life.

Today I shall...

try to share with others, especially with younger people, how I have overcome and survived my mistakes.

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